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William Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) was an English playwright, novelist, and short-story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era and reputedly the highest-paid author during the 1930s. Both Maugham's parents died before he was 10, and the orphaned boy was raised by a paternal uncle, who was emotionally cold.
1. Where did the narrator live twenty years ago? How was his financial condition like?
Twenty years ago, the narrator was living in Paris. He had a small apartment in the Latin quarters overlooking a cemetery. His financial condition was not very good. He was earning barely enough money to keep body and soul together.
2. Why did the narrator agree to treat the woman at a restaurant that was beyond his means? State two reasons.
The narrator agreed to treat the woman at a restaurant that was beyond his means because he was flattered and was too young to have learned to say no to a woman.
3. The author thought that he was not a vindictive man, but said that he finally had his revenge. Why does he say so?
The narrator is not vindictive by nature; however, he felt he had been avenged when he saw the woman after twenty years. She had not been young when he met her for the first time; she was a woman of forty. But the narrator took her to lunch as he was flattered by her response to a book of his. She suggested an expensive restaurant whose fare he could ill afford and yet, he took her there for luncheon. The woman had one delicacy after another, every one of them very expensive. The narrator hardly ate anything, so petrified was he at the thought of not being able to pay the bill. Finally, after the bill was brought and paid, he found that he had just enough for an adequate tip for the waiter. The lady, who claimed she never ate more than one thing for lunch, had gorged herself caviar, salmon, asparagus, peaches, ice -cream and champagne and she kept berating him for eating a heavy lunch when he had just a mutton chop. Now, after twenty years, the narrator was inwardly happy to see that she had grown grossly overweight for she weighted twenty-one stone. He had his revenge at last.
4. Give a character sketch of the woman in the story.
The woman was not very young when the narrator met her twenty years ago. She had read one of his books and wished to talk about it and she asked him if they could have lunch at Foyot’s, the restaurant frequented by French senators. She was a talkative and had very expensive tastes. She seemed to be least concerned about the narrator’s financial constraints as she chose her fare. She was immune to the narrator’s discomfort as he examined the prices on the menu and did nor even realize why he had just mutton chop. On the contrary, she advised him to follow her example and not eat too much meat. She claimed that she never had more than one thing for lunch but she had salmon, caviar, asparagus, a succulent peach and ice- cream. She had champagne to drink. She completely drained the money that the narrator had and he just had enough for an adequate tip which she viewed in poor light. The lady was perhaps waiting to take full advantage of the narrator’s gentle nature the second time as she greeted him after twenty years at the play. She remembered the luncheon and so did the narrator, but both did so for different reasons.
5. What is the waiter’s contribution in allowing the woman to have a gorgeous meal?
The waiter kept returning to their table and tempted the woman by asking her if she would like to order something more. Even though salmon and asparagus were not in the list of the menu, he told her they were available. He also brought a basket full of huge peaches which were not in season and were very expensive, though the order of the peaches was not placed.
6. Why was the narrator seized with panic after ordering an asparagus?
The narrator panic-stricken while they were waiting for the asparagus to be cooked because asparagus is very expensive dish so he had thought that if there was no sufficient money to pay the bill he would humiliated at the hotel.
7. The woman calls the narrator ‘a humourist’. Who do you think actually contributes to the humour in the story? How?
We think that the lady contributes to the humour in the story by saying that she never eats more than one thing for luncheon. But all the expensive dishes ordered by the narrator were eaten up by the lady.
8. The narrator’ meeting with the woman begins with his being flattered and hospitable and ends with being mortified and disgusted. Discuss his different states of mind.
The narrator goes to meet a lady. She seems to be stylish and started with appreciating the narrator but till end he seems her to be foodie and quite insincere. She kept on saying that she never eats one thing for luncheon but on the contrary she kept on asking for expensive and exotic dishes and eating it. The narrator got very disgusted and irritated. This luncheon was a very unpleasant experience for the author.
9. Why did the narrator feel complacent when he met the lady many years later?
The narrator felt complacent or relieved when he met the lady after many years because when he met him again at the play he would not have recognized her until one of them told her name. She was very fat at this point of time.
10. Was the woman self-centred?
Yes, the women was self-centred because without knowing the financial condition of the writer she invited him in a expensive hotel like Foyot's.
synonyms
vindictive – unforgiving, revengeful.
asparagus- a plant with pale green, juicy stems that are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
Salmon-fish, pinkish orange fish.
Caviar- the pickled roe of sturgeon or other large fish, eaten as a delicacy.
Berated- criticised
1. Where did the narrator live twenty years ago? How was his financial condition like?
Twenty years ago, the narrator was living in Paris. He had a small apartment in the Latin quarters overlooking a cemetery. His financial condition was not very good. He was earning barely enough money to keep body and soul together.
2. Why did the narrator agree to treat the woman at a restaurant that was beyond his means? State two reasons.
The narrator agreed to treat the woman at a restaurant that was beyond his means because he was flattered and was too young to have learned to say no to a woman.
3. The author thought that he was not a vindictive man, but said that he finally had his revenge. Why does he say so?
The narrator is not vindictive by nature; however, he felt he had been avenged when he saw the woman after twenty years. She had not been young when he met her for the first time; she was a woman of forty. But the narrator took her to lunch as he was flattered by her response to a book of his. She suggested an expensive restaurant whose fare he could ill afford and yet, he took her there for luncheon. The woman had one delicacy after another, every one of them very expensive. The narrator hardly ate anything, so petrified was he at the thought of not being able to pay the bill. Finally, after the bill was brought and paid, he found that he had just enough for an adequate tip for the waiter. The lady, who claimed she never ate more than one thing for lunch, had gorged herself caviar, salmon, asparagus, peaches, ice -cream and champagne and she kept berating him for eating a heavy lunch when he had just a mutton chop. Now, after twenty years, the narrator was inwardly happy to see that she had grown grossly overweight for she weighted twenty-one stone. He had his revenge at last.
4. Give a character sketch of the woman in the story.
The woman was not very young when the narrator met her twenty years ago. She had read one of his books and wished to talk about it and she asked him if they could have lunch at Foyot’s, the restaurant frequented by French senators. She was a talkative and had very expensive tastes. She seemed to be least concerned about the narrator’s financial constraints as she chose her fare. She was immune to the narrator’s discomfort as he examined the prices on the menu and did nor even realize why he had just mutton chop. On the contrary, she advised him to follow her example and not eat too much meat. She claimed that she never had more than one thing for lunch but she had salmon, caviar, asparagus, a succulent peach and ice- cream. She had champagne to drink. She completely drained the money that the narrator had and he just had enough for an adequate tip which she viewed in poor light. The lady was perhaps waiting to take full advantage of the narrator’s gentle nature the second time as she greeted him after twenty years at the play. She remembered the luncheon and so did the narrator, but both did so for different reasons.
5. What is the waiter’s contribution in allowing the woman to have a gorgeous meal?
The waiter kept returning to their table and tempted the woman by asking her if she would like to order something more. Even though salmon and asparagus were not in the list of the menu, he told her they were available. He also brought a basket full of huge peaches which were not in season and were very expensive, though the order of the peaches was not placed.
6. Why was the narrator seized with panic after ordering an asparagus?
The narrator panic-stricken while they were waiting for the asparagus to be cooked because asparagus is very expensive dish so he had thought that if there was no sufficient money to pay the bill he would humiliated at the hotel.
7. The woman calls the narrator ‘a humourist’. Who do you think actually contributes to the humour in the story? How?
We think that the lady contributes to the humour in the story by saying that she never eats more than one thing for luncheon. But all the expensive dishes ordered by the narrator were eaten up by the lady.
8. The narrator’ meeting with the woman begins with his being flattered and hospitable and ends with being mortified and disgusted. Discuss his different states of mind.
The narrator goes to meet a lady. She seems to be stylish and started with appreciating the narrator but till end he seems her to be foodie and quite insincere. She kept on saying that she never eats one thing for luncheon but on the contrary she kept on asking for expensive and exotic dishes and eating it. The narrator got very disgusted and irritated. This luncheon was a very unpleasant experience for the author.
9. Why did the narrator feel complacent when he met the lady many years later?
The narrator felt complacent or relieved when he met the lady after many years because when he met him again at the play he would not have recognized her until one of them told her name. She was very fat at this point of time.
10. Was the woman self-centred?
Yes, the women was self-centred because without knowing the financial condition of the writer she invited him in a expensive hotel like Foyot's.
synonyms
vindictive – unforgiving, revengeful.
asparagus- a plant with pale green, juicy stems that are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.
Salmon-fish, pinkish orange fish.
Caviar- the pickled roe of sturgeon or other large fish, eaten as a delicacy.
Berated- criticised
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